# NTSB ANC01LA133: Piper PA-12, N5129Y, Tok, AK, September 4, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 3, 2001, 20:15 local (Sep 4, 2001, 04:15 UTC) - Place: Tok, AK - Coordinates: 63.283332, -143.010284 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.2833&lon=-143.0103&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 25, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54923 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC01LA133 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54923/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC01LA133 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to abort the landing. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, and his failure to attain a proper touchdown point. An additional factor was a ditch. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Overrun, landing - roll - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selected, pilot in command (contributing factor) - terrain condition - ditch (contributing factor) - proper touchdown point - not attained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - aborted landing - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - Gear collapsed, landing - roll ## Analysis The certificated private pilot was landing to the east on a 700 feet long site. As the airplane's main wheels touched down, the airplane bounced. The pilot recovered from the bounce, and flew further down the runway and landed about midfield on the site. During the landing roll, while applying heavy braking, the left main wheel struck a small ditch at the end of the site, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On September 3, 2001, about 2015 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N5129Y, sustained substantial damage during landing at an off-airport site, about 30 miles west of Tok, Alaska. The solo certificated private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1945, from the Tok Airport, Tok. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on September 4, the pilot reported that he was landing to the east on a 700 feet long site. He said that as the airplane's main wheels touched down, the airplane bounced. He recovered from the bounce, and flew further down the runway and landed about midfield on the site. He said that during the landing roll, while applying heavy braking, the left main wheel struck a small ditch at the end of the site, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5129Y](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5129Y), registered now, S/N 12-1554 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-12 - Registry model: [Piper PA-12](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (registry code 7101202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 12-1554 - Airframe hours: 2700 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Zachary D. Knaebel - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 15, 2001, 180 hours before - Departed: TKJ, Tok, AK - Destination: TKJ, Tok, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 21, 2000; seat: front; flight hours: 440 total, 250 in this make and model, 340 as pilot in command, 130 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 3 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft broken ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010903025119A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010903025119A), Sep 3, 2001: Piper PA12, Tok, AK, No damage. (-23) On September 3, 2001, Mr. Zachary knaebel was PIC of N5129Y, a PA-12-150. While landing to a gravel bar he hit a ditch. This caused damage to the… ## Other investigations on N5129Y (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC99LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA011), Nov 3, 1998: Piper PA-12 (N5129Y), Willow, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power due to an undetermined reason. A factor associated with the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.